


Mad Dash for Love

by Apenstaartje21



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:27:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29134038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apenstaartje21/pseuds/Apenstaartje21
Summary: The story starts with Anne and Diana reconciling after their big fight and Anne telling Diana about what happened at the bonfire with Gilbert. Why did Anne not rush over to Gilbert's house straight away or did she?
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Mad Dash for Love

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: Work in progress! Chapter will still be added to as I feel it is too short:)

Lying on her bed, feeling some sort of peace for the first time in days, Anne’s mind finally comes to rest. It has been a tumultuous couple of weeks: she received an enormous backlash after writing her equality article; experienced deep despair after her vicious fight with Diana and has been feeling extremely confused about her encounter with Gilbert at the bonfire. Not having Diana around to talk to, had been an absolute torture; she had desperately missed Diana’s support and gentle guidance! She had felt lost and lonely without her bosom friend to confide in, realising that Diana is the only one of her friends she trusts unreservedly. 

A mere hour ago, she had found Diana in front of her bedroom door holding a dandelion: a peace offering and the perfect way to renew their broken friendship. Together, they had blown the flower’s seeds into the world, with it dispersing all lingering anger and resentment between them. Now, all was right with the world! 

Contentedly, she lies staring at the ceiling with her best friend once more by her side, exactly where she is supposed to be. Diana has always had a calming influence on her, and she is forever grateful for it, otherwise she is sure she would have gotten herself into even more scrapes throughout her years in Avonlea. She always dives in headfirst, never considering the consequences of her actions. Problem is that whenever she sees any sort of injustice, she can’t look away: she simply must act! Usually, Diana is the voice of reason, keeping her from any rash actions — although, admittedly, even her words can’t keep her out of trouble all the time. 

In the last sixty minutes or so, they had poured their hearts out to each other — nothing was left unspoken — all their worries and problems had been laid bare. Both of them left in shock by what the other had to say. Diana filled her in on her struggles to get some breathing space from her sometimes suffocating, haughty parents and how it led her to her ill-judged entanglement with poor Jerry. She had expressed her deep regret to have caused Jerry such a heartache. “What can I do to make this right, Anne?” she had asked hopelessly, her voice thick with withheld tears. “Have you tried to apologize, Diana?” “An apology can go a long way!” was the only thing that sprang to her mind, unintentionally repeating the same words she once voiced to Gilbert when he had fallen out with Bash. Confusedly, her heart had skipped a beat when she had thought about Gilbert, but she had pushed all thoughts of him to the back of her mind, right now Diana needed her. It worried her that she hadn’t been supporting Diana enough over the last couple of months; she had been fully focussed on her Queen’s Entrance Exams, leaving her friend feeling isolated and alone. Shame had speared through her heart. She should have paid better attention; she should have listened more carefully. Maybe then, her best friend wouldn’t have felt so lonely and she wouldn’t have started seeing Jerry. Tears of compassion streaming down her face, she had pulled her sobbing friend into a tight embrace, promising her she would never neglect her like that again. 

When they both had managed to calm down, it had been her turn to confess what happened at the bonfire with Gilbert. Without interruption, her friend had listened silently, not responding immediately afterwards but weighing her words carefully before responding in the most profound way, “Oh Anne, who knew life could be so momentous? A morning can start off like any other but by nightfall things have occurred that can change the course of forever.” 

“Yes, all is well again!” she sighs happily. It is at this moment, while resting on her bed, shoulder to shoulder with her bosom friend that relieve starts coursing through her body. She has finally gotten everything off her chest and is once again reunited with her best friend. A wonderful, welcome calmness seeps into her — her mind getting ever clearer. Outside, the soft rustling of the Snow Queen can be heard and the kind voice of Matthew calling to Jerry that it is time to milk the cows. Right now, she feels so grateful for all the wonderful people surrounding her. If Matthew and Marilla wouldn’t have taken her in, she would probably still be at the orphanage, clawing herself from day to day without any true conviction of its purpose; her imagination the only thing to keep her going, keeping her sane. Here, she feels safe, so loved and so at peace. Spontaneously, Aunt Jo’s wise words spring into her mind, “When all's quiet in your mind, you'll find your answer.” Suddenly, a switch is flicked in her mind and with an unexpected clarity she blurts out, “I'm in love with Gilbert Blythe!”

Upon hearing her words, Diana jumps to her feet and starts dancing around in a manner that rather suspiciously looks like an exact copy of Bash’s victory dance. “I knew it, I always knew it, Anne,” she is calling out jubilantly. Gobsmacked, Anne looks at her friend who is exuberantly prancing around her cosy gabled room, wondering how her friend could possibly have known that she had such deep feelings for Gilbert. 

She doesn’t get the chance to ask though as the dark-haired beauty comes rushing towards her and starts pulling her arm, forcing her to get up, practically dragging her to the door. “Diana, what has gotten into you?” she enquires bemused. Her friend — while still dragging her along — starts hurriedly explaining, “Don’t you see, Anne, you told me Gilbert could propose any day. You have to go to him now! You have to tell him what is in your heart!” 

Anne is rather taken aback by her friend’s words as she is only just getting used to the fact she is in love with Avonlea’s heartthrob. Should she really reveal her feelings? During the bonfire night, she had been pretty intoxicated, but Gilbert’s words are still engraved in her memory; he had told her Winnie’s dad had offered him everything he ever longed for on a silver platter. He just needed to put a ring on Winnie’s finger. 

The worrying question that keeps popping up in her head is what she, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, has to offer him? And she always comes back to the same annoying answer: nothing! Not a single thing, apart from her undying love and devotion! Would that truly be enough to make him happy? She knows how strong his desire is to become a doctor specialised in medical research and that the Sorbonne happens to be the ideal place to study for it. She also knows that he doesn’t want to be a country doctor limited to handing out death sentences. Plus, Winnie is beautiful and her family is rich! With every thought, her resolve to tell him is slowly dwindling; like a candle deprived of oxygen sputtering and slowly being snuffed out. 

Her train of thoughts is rather abruptly interrupted by Diana who is getting more and more frenzied by the minute. “Anne, what are you mumbling about? Gilbert needs you! You mean more to him than a million Winnies or Sorbonne Universities on this planet! Don’t know what he was thinking anyway, pursuing this girl as he has been so clearly smitten with you from the day he met you?” she is rambling on. 

Due to her friend’s assertions, Anne realises she had actually been voicing her thoughts aloud and that her friend is energetically trying to disperse all her worries.

“Anne, you are worried he will eventually start to resent you if he doesn’t take advantage of this seemingly golden opportunity, isn’t it?” she enquires more gently. “Yes,” she whispers to her friend, now on the verge of tears. “I can’t stand in the way of his happiness, Diana. It would break my heart and it would ruin our friendship beyond repair.” 

Grabbing both her hands in hers and turning her tenderly towards her, so they are now facing each other, her bosom friend insists with staunch conviction, “Anne, Gilbert won’t be happy if he marries Winnie! He loves you more than anything in this world! I’ve seen it in his eyes whenever he looks at you; his eyes are so full of love and romance for you. Only for you, Anne! I observed him at the country fair and not once did he look at Winnie in the way he looks at you. Please, Anne, come along now, we must go! Your future is awaiting!”


End file.
